Going to Mill Road for dinners has already become a tradition for us, and with Álvaro being from Spain we needed to try this appealing Spanish tapas bar!

It is well located, at the start of Mill Road and therefore within walking distance from Parker’s Piece, making it a very attractive place for lunch/dinner while having a stroll around Cambridge.

We had passed by this restaurant many times before and as many different people recommended the place to us and assured us that it was worth it, we decided to make a reservation! On this particular occasion, we were a table of 7 as many friends who wanted to equally try the quality of Spanish food in Cambridge joined us.

By meeting the owners, we discovered that the restaurant is owned and fully managed by Spanish people, with all its chefs and waiters coming from different Spanish regions. This made the menu and atmosphere quite varied and very enriching. We found the service good and everyone in the restaurant was friendly.

Our choices:

• Pulpo a la gallega (Octopus as prepared in Galicia).
• Paella
• Patatas Bravas (Fried potatoes with paprika sauce).
• Chickpeas with calamari
• Huevos rotos con chorizo (Fried eggs with fried and chorizo)
• Gambas al ajillo (Prawns fried in garlic)
• Tortilla de patata

Almost all of the dishes adhered to their traditional Spanish recipes, and we were delighted to see that the chefs were loyal to both the ingredients and the typical Spanish way of cooking them. As one can imagine, the produce wasn’t the same as in Spain since the same meats, fish and vegetables are not equally sourced in Spain and the UK and hence their qualities are not comparable. This is why the pulpo, even after being cooked in the traditional way, was a bit dry and lacked some flavor.

The paella was the big disappointment of the night as its quality was very poor and it contained many ingredients which are not part of the original recipe. The rice was overcooked and the vegetables too soft.

However, the patatas bravas and the tortilla de patata were extremely nice and completely adhered to the original recipe! We even ordered two more tortillas after our initial order.

The chickpeas with calamari is a dish that Álvaro particularly enjoyed. In Spain it is quite a typical dish from the south, especially during the winter time when chickpeas and beans are cooked with different seafood such as prawns, cod or calamari.

The huevos rotos con chorizo were really nice, as the eggs were perfectly fried, and the chorizo was imported from Spain, giving the dish a really good traditional flavor!

The gambas al ajillo were perfectly cooked and the oil had an adequate garlic taste, as it would in Spain. However, the quality of the prawns wasn’t really high, which reduced the overall quality of the dish. Nonetheless, it was still good.

To pair with the food we ordered two bottles of white Rueda wine. Its fresh, white fruit aromas and refreshing flavor were perfect for a meal which brought together so many contrasting flavors. Two of us also ordered two glasses of red Ribera del Duero wine. Finally, for dessert, we all had a glass of sweet Pedro Ximenez wine, which is one of Álvaro’s favorites and was the icing on the cake of a fantastic dinner!

Review written by Álvaro Martin.